Frontier Airlines breathes new life into Seattle’s Paine Field with 3 new routes

Frontier Airlines is adding a new pin for a somewhat surprising destination to its route map.

The Denver-based carrier is taking its talents to Seattle’s “other” airport, adding flights to Seattle Paine Field International Airport (PAE).

Frontier announced on Tuesday that it’ll start flying to Denver International Airport (DEN), Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) from PAE on June 2. The airline will offer three weekly flights on each route, with introductory one-way fares starting at just $29.

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For Frontier, the new Paine Field service complements its existing presence at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), from where it flies to seven destinations. That includes the same three airports it’ll add from PAE, as well as Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Ontario International Airport (ONT) in California.

Located in Everett, Washington, Paine Field resumed commercial flight operations in March 2019 and was intended to serve as an alternative for people living north of downtown Seattle. Historically, Paine Field had been closed to commercial traffic for decades.

Until 2019, residents in Snohomish County and the surrounding areas previously had to drive nearly 40 miles south to SEA to fly out of the region.

Since it reopened, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have flown to Paine Field. United pulled out of the airport during the coronavirus pandemic, leaving it served exclusively by Alaska, the region’s hometown carrier.

Alaska’s PAE service has also had its ups and downs, with the carrier recently cutting one of its newest routes from the airport due to weak demand.

But with the new Frontier service, Paine Field is getting a new airline, something that has been on the airport’s agenda for years.

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“This new service further validates Seattle Paine Field as the region’s ‘second’ airport, Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports (the company that manages Paine Field), said in a statement. “Frontier enhances our nationwide connectivity and provides customers throughout the region with additional options, while reducing congestion at our sister airport Seattle-Tacoma International. I know this is welcome news for our passengers.”

In recent months, Frontier has been busy redeploying its animal-tailed aircraft to some of the nation’s busiest airports with high operating costs, including New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

The ultra-low-cost carrier has been chasing all the demand it can find, so it’s interesting to see Paine Field become Frontier’s latest addition to its route map. That’s especially true since Alaska already flies from PAE to LAS and PHX. (United used to fly from PAE to DEN before it pulled out of the airport.)

Clearly, Frontier sees an opportunity at Paine Field; hopefully, Frontier’s service will last longer than United’s did.

In other news, Frontier will also add a new twice-weekly route from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on June 19.

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